Angry letter sent to Romania over unpassed bills

By
Euronews

Just two weeks before a recommendation on whether Romania should join the European Union in 2007 or 2008 comes a warning: The EU’s top officials in charge of enlargement and justice have sent Bucharest a letter expressing their concern over its failure to keep promises on fighting fraud.

It questioned the commitment of all Romania’s political actors to fight high level corruption, after the parliament’s failure to pass two key bills. This may weigh negatively on the European Commission’s September 26 report on Romania’s fitness to join the bloc. It and Bulgaria could end up entering the EU this coming January or a year later.

Olli Rehn and Franco Frattini wrote they were disappointed the National Integrity Agency law did not pass last week, and that an article saying politicians’ wealth statements and actual wealth should be monitored was cut. Both countries’ corruption and organised crime have long been the EU’s chief worry, along with their inefficient farm systems.